Meet next Knesset's 53 new MKs

Nearly half of the 19th Knesset seats will be occupied by fresh faces. Coming in all political shades, 47 members will enter parliament for the first time, and five will be re-admitted to after previous stints.

public security and a minister in the Prime Minister's Office. His last role in parliament was as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

Yesh Atid

Yair Lapid
(49) – Chairman and founder of the Yesh Atid
party, writer, former journalist and TV host. Son of writer, journalist and politician Yosef (Tommy) Lapid
and of writer and playwright Shulamit Lapid.

Shai Piron (53) – Rabbi. Until recently chairman of the High School Yeshivas in Petach Tikva and of the Hakol Hinuch movement. Founder and leader of the Tzohar
foundation, dedicated to religious-secular dialogue.

Shai Piron (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

Yaakov Peri (Photo: Benny Deutsch)

Meir Cohen and Yael German with Lapid (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

Yael German (65) – Mayor of Herzliya
between 1988-2013. MBA in public leadership, BA in history and a teaching diploma.

Yaakov Peri (68) – Former Shin Bet
director. Served as president and CEO of Cellcom
and as chairman of the Mizrahi-Tefahot
bank board. Harvard business school graduate and BA in oriental studies and Jewish history.

Ofer Shelah (52) – Journalist since 1988. Former leading basketball commentator for the Israeli Sports Channel. Host of various news and political TV shows.

Aliza Lavie (48) - Scholar and writer, publicist and social activist. Senior lecturer at the School of Communication at Bar Ilan University. Her study focuses on communications, multi-culturalism, and the world of feminine Jewish knowledge.

Yoel Razvozov (32) – Former Israeli Judo Team captain, won two silver medals in the European championships and represented Israel in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Yoel Razvozov (Photo: Reuven Schwarz)

Adi Kol (36) – Columbia University Law School doctorate. Founded the Dinei Rechov program which rehabilitates juvenile delinquents through education and empowerment.

Karin Elharar (35) – Advocate Elharar directs the Bar Ilan Faculty of Law clinics, including the disabled and the elderly and holocaust survivors rights clinics, founded during her term.

Karin Elharar (R) and Adi Kol (B) with Lapid (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

Miki Levi (61) – Former Jerusalem District Police chief. CEO of Egged
Transportation and public and urban safety consultant in Russia and Brazil.

Shimon Solomon (44) – Major (res.) Made aliya on foot from Ethiopia in 1980 with his parents and five brothers and sisters. Until recently director of education in Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village for Rwandan genocide orphans.

Miki Levi (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

Ruth Calderon (51) – Doctor Calderon was the TV host of a culture program. Was a consultant to Yedioth publishing, and for the Shenhar committee which examined Jewish education in public schools. Head of the culture and education division of the National Library.

Pnina Tamano-Shata (31) – The first Ethiopian woman in the Knesset. Former Channel 1 correspondent.

Rina Frenkel (56) – Deputy CEO of the Employment Services.

Yifat Kariv (39) – Social activist for education, women and youth causes. Former Youth Division director in the Ministry for the Development of the Negev and a member of the Galilee and Hod Hasharon municipal council.

Dov Lipman (41) – Rabbi Lipman was involved in education, public and community activity in the US and Israel for 20 years. Former principal and a teacher at various US high schools, and a rabbi and teacher at various yeshivot in Beit Shemesh.

Boaz Toporovski (32) – Former National Union of Israeli Students chairman. Head of the Public Committee for Equality in Higher Education, former member of the Tel Aviv University board, member of the Higher Education Committee and member of the European Students' Union board.

Boaz Toporovsky (Photo: Kobi Koanks)

Ronen Hoffman (49) – Lecturer on government, political psychology and communications at the IDC in Herzliya. Doctor Hoffman was an active member in the Israel-Syria peace delegation, a diplomatic advisor to the defense minister and personal assistant to former PM Yitzhak Rabin.

Erel Margalit (52) – Hi-tech and social entrepreneur from Jerusalem. Founder of the JVP hedge-fund.

Itzik Shmuli (32) – Former Student Union chairman and leader of the 2011 social protest. Lod
resident and leader of a national initiative for its development.

Miki Rosenthal (57) – Investigative journalist, mainly in social-economic matters. Made the film "The Shakshuka System" which exposed the relationship between wealth and power in Israel.

Michal Biran (34) – Chairman of the Young Guard of the party and a doctorate student of political science at the Tel Aviv University, specializes in pension policy.

Moshe Mizrachi (61) – Founder and first chief of the International Crime Investigations Unit, former head of investigations and chief of the Judea District Police, a leader of the struggle against corruption.

Moshe Mizrachi (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Habayit Hayehudi

Naftali Bennett
(40) – Major (res.) in the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, team leader in Magelan unit. Founding member of the Cyota hi-tech company, which specialized in internet security, sold in 2005 for $145 million. Former PM Netanyahu's chief of staff and Yesha council chairman.

Eliyahu Ben Dahan (58) – Rabbi, former director of rabbinical courts. Wrote various articles debating Jewish law as opposed to civil law.

Ayelet Shaked (36) – Rightist activist. Chairwoman and founding member, together with Bennett, of the My Israel movement. Former bureau manager for Benjamin Netanyahu,
while he was the opposition leader.

Ayelet Shaked (Photo: Avigail Uzi)

Zevulun Calfa (Photo: Tzvika Tischler)

Zevulun Calfa (50) – Secretary of the Shomria kibbutz, Bnei Shimon plenum and council member, community director in the Dvir kibbutz and secretariat member of the Amana Settlement movement.

Yoni Chetboun (33) – Major (res.) Awarded the Chief of Staff citation for his actions during the Second Lebanon War. Head and Founder the Raananim religious Zionist youth movement.

Hatnua

Tzipi Livni
(54) – Former Foreign and Justice Minister, in addition to other governmental roles. Former Kadima chairwoman. After losing the party chairmanship to Shaul Mofaz
she resigned from the Knesset.

Amram Mitzna (67) – Major General (res.). Haifa mayor for nearly 10 years. Labor chairman during 2003 elections, MK for the 16th Knesset. Former Mayor of Yeruham.

Elazar Stern (56) – Major General (res.). Former head of the IDF Personnel Directorate and chief education officer.

Elazar Stern (Photo: Moti Kimchi)

David Zur (53) – Served for 28 years in the police. Was the Border Guard chief and the Tel Aviv District Police chief.

Meretz

Michal Rozin (43) – Former CEO of The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, led a coalition of nine organizations which worked with the Knesset and government to fight sexual violence and for sexual assault victims' rights.

Esawi Freige (49) – Member of the Peace Now secretariat, founder of a forum dedicated to encouraging Jewish-Arab business ventures.

Tamar Zandberg (36) – Tel Aviv-Yafo councilwoman, chairwoman of the women promotion committee, deputy chairwoman of the affordable housing committee and member of the finance and municipal administration committees.

Tamar Zandberg (Photo: Gil Lavie)

United Torah Judaism

Meir Porush (57) – Jerusalem councilman for nearly 13 years and member of the zoning committee. MK between 1996 and 2011.

Asher Yaakov (47) – Mayor of Bnei Brak. Degel HaTorah representative.

United Arab List-Taal

Taleb Abu-Arar – Former head of Aruar Council in the Negev.

Balad

Basal Getas (56) – Former head of the Rameh Council in the Western Galilee and a founding member of Balad. Former head of the Galilee Society.